*The founders of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey have filed a major civil lawsuit against the company’s former chief financial officer, accusing him of fraud and serious misconduct over several years. The case was filed in Bedford County Chancery Court by Fawn Weaver, Keith Weaver, and their company, Grant Sidney Inc., against former CFO Michael Senzaki and his firm, ZMS Strategies Inc.
According to the lawsuit, Senzaki was given full control of the company’s financial systems during a key period of growth. The Weavers claim he abused that trust by hiding large vendor debts and making the company’s finances look healthier than they really were.
The filing says Senzaki allegedly altered invoices after executive approvals, redirecting company payments to businesses he controlled while making it appear that real vendors had already been paid. The plaintiffs say this went on for years and was only discovered after Senzaki left the company in late 2024.
The lawsuit also accuses Senzaki of forging stock transfer documents and using fake paperwork to place liens on Fawn Weaver’s personal equity without her permission.
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The complaint describes her equity as her primary form of compensation, valued at tens of millions of dollars. It says she took little or no salary while building the brand and never sold equity for personal gain.
Any equity sales, the suit claims, were done to support the company, and the money was loaned back in full. The plaintiffs allege that this equity was later used for Senzaki’s personal benefit without authorization.
Beyond financial issues, the lawsuit claims there was a deliberate effort to spread a false story that the Weavers were personally responsible for Uncle Nearest’s corporate debt. The filing says neither Fawn nor Keith Weaver personally guaranteed loans from Farm Credit Mid-America, but others were allowed to believe they had.
The Weavers say this caused serious damage, including canceled speaking engagements that cost Fawn Weaver over $1 million and the freezing of nearly $9.75 million tied to Keith Weaver’s separate business ventures.
The lawsuit lists several claims, including fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, defamation, and conversion. The Weavers are seeking financial damages and court orders to stop the defendants from moving or hiding assets while the case continues. The case is now before the 17th Judicial District Chancery Court, and the defendants have yet filed no response.
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